Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he will close the country’s borders to anyone not a citizen, an American or a permanent resident — and even they have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival — due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Let me be clear: If you are abroad, now is the time to come home,” the prime minister said. “If you’ve just arrived, you must self-isolate for 14 days.”
He also said those already in the country, “as much as possible should stay home.” He spoke outside his residence, where is self isolating after his wife tested positive for the virus.
Trudeau said the exemption for Americans, despite the rapid rise of cases in the U.S., was due to “the level of integration of our two economies.” The U.S. accounts for 75 percent of the country’s exports.
“Canada and the United States have the longest un-militarized border in the world and that border is vital to the daily life to people on both side that live of that border,” said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
But she noted that the exemption was not aimed at tourists.
“The fact that we are saying to all visitors to Canada, and all returning Canadians, that they are strongly recommended go into 14-day self isolation, means self isolation in Canada for 14 days,” Freeland said.
“I don’t consider that something that a tourist would like to do for a holiday.”
Trudeau said the country is taking “increasingly aggressive steps” to keep everyone safe.
The government is restricting overseas flights to just four airports in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver, and mandating airlines to screen passengers for symptoms of the virus before allowing anyone to board a plane.
The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Canada more than doubled since Friday, including 32 new confirmed cases in Ontario on Monday.
Trudeau said `”we can still slow the spread of this virus” but it will take a major adjustment from everyone.
Officials in the Pacific Coast province of British Columbia also announced three more deaths, all of them stemming from a long-term care home in North Vancouver where the first death in Canada was reported. Canada has more than 400 confirmed cases and now four deaths.
Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive after returning from London. She attended the same event as British actor Idris Elba, who announced Monday he has also tested positive for the virus. She posed for pictures with him.
